Fig and Black Tea Bourbon Sour

A whiskey sour is three things. Bourbon, lemon, sugar. Get the balance right and you barely need anything else.

So I didn't touch the balance. This bourbon sour uses the exact measurements from the International Bartenders Association, the group that keeps the official versions of the classics. The one change is the syrup. Instead of plain sugar and water, it's sugar and strong black tea, measured the same way, so the drink is exactly as sweet as it should be. The tea just makes it taste like the good kind of cold afternoon.

The fig is on the rim of the glass, not in the shaker. Figs cooked into a syrup add their own sugar, and then you're guessing. A fresh fig on the glass looks like fall and gives you something to eat when the drink is gone.

What you need

For the black tea syrup

  • 1 cup water

  • 2 black tea bags, or 2 teaspoons loose black tea

  • 1 cup granulated sugar

For one cocktail

  • 1 1/2 ounces bourbon

  • 5 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (a generous 3/4 ounce)

  • 4 teaspoons black tea syrup (about 2/3 ounce)

  • Pasteurized egg white, optional (see below)

  • Ice

  • Half a fresh fig, or a dried fig on a cocktail pick, for garnish

Directions

Make the black tea syrup

  1. Bring the water to a boil and take it off the heat.

  2. Add the tea and steep for 5 minutes.

  3. Remove the tea bags, or strain out the loose tea.

  4. Stir in the sugar until it's completely dissolved.

  5. Let it cool, then keep it covered in the refrigerator.

Make the drink without egg white

  1. Add the bourbon, lemon juice, and tea syrup to a shaker.

  2. Fill with ice and shake hard for about 15 seconds.

  3. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.

  4. Perch the fig on the rim.

Make the drink with egg white

  1. Add the bourbon, lemon juice, tea syrup, and egg white to a shaker with no ice.

  2. Shake hard for about 15 seconds. This is called a dry shake, and it's what makes the foam.

  3. Add ice and shake again until very cold.

  4. Strain into a chilled coupe or over fresh ice.

  5. Add the fig.

A few things worth knowing

Why the measurements look odd. The official recipe is in milliliters: 45 bourbon, 25 lemon, 20 syrup. Teaspoons turned out to be the closest match. If you only have a jigger, a generous 3/4 ounce of lemon and a scant 3/4 ounce of syrup gets you there.

Other recipes disagree. Plenty of whiskey sour recipes use less syrup and more lemon than this. That's a drier, sharper drink. I went with the official version. If you like it tart, drop the syrup to a tablespoon.

Egg white is optional. The official recipe says a few drops, and optional. More gives you a thicker foam. If you use it, use pasteurized egg whites. The FDA recommends pasteurized eggs or pasteurized egg products for anything served raw, and the liquid egg whites sold in cartons are pasteurized.

Pick a black tea you'd drink. Plain breakfast tea is safe. Earl Grey will make it floral. A smoky tea will make it taste like a campfire, which is either wonderful or a mistake depending on who you ask.

Dried figs work. Fresh figs have a short season. A dried fig on a pick looks just as good and lasts longer on the glass.

Make it for a crowd

For eight drinks, stir 12 ounces bourbon, 6 1/2 ounces lemon juice, and 5 1/4 ounces tea syrup in a pitcher. Keep it cold. Shake each drink to order with ice, two at a time if your shaker is big enough. Skip the egg white for a crowd. It's a lot of dry shaking.

Good with

Salty, a little rich. Sharp cheddar, prosciutto, roasted almonds, or a plate of fresh figs if you bought too many.

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